Sculptures in the garden: Work of 14 artists featured

Published 4:18 am, Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Sundance by Essexville resident Jere Brunette is on display in Dow Gardens.

Sundance by Essexville resident Jere Brunette is on display in Dow Gardens.

Photo: Neil Blake/Midland Daily News

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Unfolding Arch by Saginaw native Russell Thayer is on display in Dow Gardens.

Unfolding Arch by Saginaw native Russell Thayer is on display in Dow Gardens.

Photo: Neil Blake/Midland Daily News

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Mr. Bass by Midland resident Jim Ardis.

Mr. Bass by Midland resident Jim Ardis.

Photo: Neil Blake/Midland Daily News

Sculptures in the garden: Work of 14 artists featured

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The scenery at Midland’s Dow Gardens has some new additions as it hosts an exhibition of “Sculptures of the Great Lakes Bay.”

The art show includes 30 sculptures made by artists with ties to the Great Lakes Bay region, according to Marty McGuire, Dow Gardens managing director. The sculptures have been placed throughout the gardens for the exhibition, which began May 18 and continues through Sept. 30.

“They are placed throughout the grounds,” McGuire said. “In many instances the artists were involved in selecting the area where their work is displayed while in others we placed them in areas to which we are trying to draw people. We used the sculptures to call people off the paths to areas that are interesting they may otherwise miss.”

The sculptures are made from various mediums including metals, concrete and ceramic. A guide to the sculptures can be found on Dow Gardens’ website, www.dowgardens.org, along with where in the gardens they have been placed.

The sculpture series, in its fourth year, was started to attract new audiences.

“It was an effort to introduce a new medium into the garden and create another reason for people to want to take a stroll (here),” McGuire said.

This year’s show varies from its predecessors, he said. Instead of featuring the work of one artist, the show has 30 sculptures from 14 artists either living in or originally from the Great Lakes Bay region. Artists are Jim Ardis, Charles Breed, Jere Brunette, David Holtslander, Roger King, Scott Lankton, Bob Pierce, Guy Sabrie, Brett Sauve, Alice Strack, Anna Swartz, Dan Taylor, Russell Thayer and Rose Wunderbaum Traines.

“We decided on a Great Lakes Bay theme and thought this might be interesting to visitors,” McGuire said of the multiple artist approach.

According to McGuire, the community response to the sculpture exhibitions over the last few years has been good. He noted that attendance has been up over the last several summers during the event but said it is hard to separate how much of that is directly because of the sculptures.

Dow Gardens also has several permanent sculptures with the centerpiece a copy of Marshall Fredericks’ famed “Leaping Gazelle.” Other permanent sculptures include ones of a pig and a donkey in the children’s garden area and a few works from the previous sculpture shows that were donated to the garden by their artists.

Some of this year’s sculptures are for sale and can be purchased at any time although they cannot be removed from the grounds until the show’s conclusion. Unsold art will go back to the artists. In previous years, the show’s art was sold at an auction but Dow Garden officials chose not to go that route this year.

Dow Gardens Summer Solstice Stroll

Wednesday, June 20, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Celebrate the longest day of the year in the beauty of Dow Gardens in Midlnad! Stroll through the gardens listening to music,

meet some of the regional artists behind the 30 piece Art in the Garden exhibit and enjoy a luminary -lined stroll at the end of the evening.

Picnics welcome.

6-8 p.m. Haley Ann Dorion will perform acoustic guitar music in the

Red Bridge Overlook.

7-9 p.m. The Sunshine String Band will be playing Bluegrass Music in the

Birch Grove.

7-9 p.m. Meet the Artists -The artists will be throughout the gardens near their art.

9-10 p.m.Luminary Walk in the Dow Gardens

Admission to Dow Gardens is $10.00 for the whole year. Annual passes are transferrable to family and friends.

Daily Admission is $5 for Adults/$1 for Students/Kids five and under are free.